Under a new state law, several Connecticut municipalities — both large and small — are already moving forward with plans to use cameras for speeding violations, notably in school zones and roadways with high risk of accidents. And while some roadside cameras have popped up around Wilton, that isn’t yet a sign that Wilton is checking on speeding motorists — at least right now. But the cameras Wilton has installed are providing a hint of what’s to come with some very surprising, crime-busting results.
Background
Connecticut’s Public Act No. 23-116, which went into effect in October 2023, allows municipalities to install Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices (ATESD) to detect traffic violations and record images that capture the driver’s license plate along with the date, time, and location.
The law allows for the cameras to be used primarily to enforce speeding violations in school zones and “pedestrian safety zones” as well as running red lights at traffic lights.
According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the ATESD program will “empower Connecticut municipalities to improve roadway and pedestrian safety within their communities” and “to improve public safety, change driver behavior, and save lives.”
Any municipality that wishes to implement an ATESD system must submit a plan to the Office of the State Traffic Administration (OSTA) for approval. Plans have already been approved for five CT municipalities, with five more pending and more applications expected to be submitted.
Greenwich is one of the towns near Wilton whose application has already been approved, and Stamford‘s plan is pending, among others across the state. But the tiny town of Washington, CT — with a population of roughly 3,500 — was the first to jump on the ATESD bandwagon, in an effort to combat serious speeding issues there, including a reported 58 motor vehicle accidents with injuries or fatalities within a two-year period, according to the Town’s ATESD application. (Wilton had 402 motor vehicle crashes in 2024.)
Outlook for Wilton
Is Wilton one of the towns preparing to implement an ATESD plan? The short answer is “not right now,” but as Wilton Police Department Deputy Chief Rob Cipolla explained, the concept is certainly getting the department’s attention.
Cipolla said he personally had attended some roundtable discussions with state leaders and other municipalities about ATESDs. However, Wilton would have to take some significant steps before the Town could submit an application to the state.
“There is a checklist of things that a town would need to accomplish prior to even entertaining implementation,” Cipolla said.
At the top of the checklist, the Board of Selectmen must enact a new ordinance, as required by the state law, expressly allowing the cameras and meeting other state requirements. The Town would also have to hold a public hearing on the matter.
Perhaps even more fundamental, Cipolla said his department would need a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan — something it does not currently have — before submitting an ATESD application in order to demonstrate a clear rationale for the program.
“We applied for a grant last year, but we didn’t get it. We recently reapplied so that we could get funding to do such a comprehensive safety action plan,” Cipolla said. “It’s something we want to have done for the town because it will help inform what our needs are in terms of traffic safety.”
He noted that while the technology is automated, it is not ‘set it and forget it.’ It would still require WPD personnel to review any alleged violations before tickets are issued.
“Each one of these that flags a violation, someone actually has to physically review it,” Cipolla said. “So it brings efficiencies, for sure, but it also adds another element of work.”
Speeding violations caught by ATESDs would only apply when they detect speeds more than 10 miles per hour above the speed limit. Tickets would be mailed to the offenders. Camera-caught violations also have a different fee structure than traditional, officer-enforced speeding violations; the law allows fines up to $50 for first offense or $75 for each additional offense, plus up to a $15 fee for processing electronic payments.
But Cipolla says deterrence is really the key benefit of ATESDs.
“We don’t look at it as a revenue thing,” he said. “Our take on it would be, is this going to help keep our roads safer, reduce our crashes, reduce injuries [and] fatalities?”
“And when people know that [cameras] are in play, that certainly has a deterrent effect,” he added.
Cipolla is wary of one potential unintended consequence.
“You have to consider where you’re putting these [cameras], and then is it causing people to take other routes and moving traffic to routes that perhaps would be unsafe,” Cipolla pondered.
Cipolla said questions of the privacy rights of motorists did come up in the discussions he has heard, but he would not expect Fourth Amendment claims to be an issue as the Connecticut law is implemented, as similar questions have already been litigated and decided. The state also provides municipalities with guidance on best practices for the privacy, security, and destruction of any personal data collected by the cameras.
For now, the Wilton Police Department is in wait-and-see mode.
“Our first priority right now is to get this comprehensive safety action plan done. Hopefully we get the grant funding to help us out with that, and then reevaluate,” Cipolla summarized. “It’s something we’re educating ourselves on… [and] keeping our eye on other municipalities as they implement it.”
Camera Devices Wilton Is Using
Wilton may not have speed cameras yet, but the Town does have fixed automatic license plate readers in 11 locations throughout Wilton, which have been operational since March.
“The devices are used to collect objective evidence and facts about vehicles, alerts us [to] wanted vehicles, and have been very helpful in solving crime,” Cipolla wrote in a follow-up email to GMW.
The devices were initially obtained on a trial basis, but the Town budgeted for them in the current fiscal year, after they proved to be an effective policing tool.
“In a short five months we’ve already had about 10 cases where evidence we gathered from them has led to arrests,” Cipolla explained. “The most notable being the arrest of an adult male committing lewd acts in front of juveniles in Wilton Center.”
Perhaps the residents of Wilton should be given the opportunity to vote on the seed enforcement cameras during a Town wide referendum. Many residents in Washington are upset that they were basically unaware and under informed that these AI devices would issue citations. People in Washington have altered their “normal” routes and people speed up after the speed zone to make up for lost time. This is not about safety folks, it’s about revenue………